The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-12-17

| that came to me one day when was terri.
bly in need of the help it brought" Over
the poor lodger's face stole an expression
of almost angelic JOY, but only Aunt Mar
garet noticed 1t.
Then they all turned to little Annie-fee-
Bile, prematurely old, sad-faced little Annie
who sat gazing rehectively into the fire
and then said: II member once father said
he would give me worse hiding than ever
when ne came home, cause l waited for
him outside the public, and when he come
he fel! asleep and forgot to give t me. II
that will do miss"
Little Anniel Poor little Anniel How
could she know that this story which she
told so SIMPLY in so few words was the
most pathetic that had ever been written!
Then it was Honor's turn to talk She
had just begun her story-a fairy story
when, glancing up, her face expressed as
constituent, confusion and happiness, all
in an ms ant. There, standing in the door,
unannounced, was Sir Edward Dusart.
Any one who understood the language of
faces could know at once by glance at
Honor that her happiest moment had come;
that her story, too, had told itself, for only
one thing could have brought Sir Edward
Dusart to her from Uncle Bryson's on that
Christmas night. And wasn't it curious
that the scheming of the Brysons to keep
him from again meeting Honor, had brought
about the very thing they had tried
to PREVENT And isn't it always sol Be
hind Sir Edward came Mr. Redmond. who,
after greeting everybody, said something
to Aunt Margaret which seemed to make
her face radiant, and caused her to tell the
story of her happiest moment with her eyes
only She it was, not Honor, who had been
the cause of his visits there, and in the
fewest words possible on that Christmas
night he made this plain to her; and later,
when addressing few words Of good will
and good wishes to all before the curious
company rose from the table, he said this
was one Of the happiest moments of his life.
But just after he and Sir Edward had
become one of the company, Mr.. Williams,
the poor ledger, was seen making his way
toward the door holding his handkerchief
up to his face. He was telling Sally to ex-
cuse him to her mistress, as sudden attack
of neuralgia obliged him to leave rather
abruptly, when Sir Edward Dusart caught
sight OF him and called out: "Elstoni Is
ita Why, Elston, old fellow, where on
earth have you sprung from? The poor
ledger moved on toward the door, making
no answer. Sir Edward sprang after him,
and with his arm around his neck, school.
boy fashion, went with him into the hall.
When they both returned Sir Edward in
troduced the poor ledger as the best friend
he ever had and one of the best scholars of
his own university. The little company
was greatly astonished to learn that he
wasn't Mr.. Williams at all, but Mr.. Elston
but they were still more astonshed some
weeks later when they learned that he and
Grace Fairlie were married-they became
engaged that very night, and were married
as soon as he was established as lawyer
So his story, also, was not told, but told
itself.
The little tailor and his wife are as happy
as they could desire. Mrs. Parnell is bet
ter off now, and with Lady Dusart for her
friend, more "genteel" and exclusive than
ever. When any one refers to that mem
orable Christmas night she says there is an
advantage to be derived from an occasional
mixture of classes. James Brooks, the old
soldier, is in receipt of a pension which
finds its way to him, he imagines from
France, and is frequent visitor at the
hall, where Sir Edward and Lady Dusart
are always glad to welcome him, and to the
rectory, mile away, where Mr.. Redmond
and Aunt Margaret are host and hostess
There is a pretty CO tage in the village, Of
which Johnnys mother is the mistress
There, old Nannie's last days were spent il
comfort. Johnny became a sailor lad, bu
after some years of seafaring came home
and 'settled down" in the village with his
mother. Poor Little Annie! Not all the
| love and care of her kind friends coult
keep her long with them. The tired littlt
spirit fled early from world which i
found too cruel to linger in.-yH NewmGS.